THE OAKLEY SNOW TEAM RETURNS TO ASPEN FOR WINTER X 16

The largest winter action sports platform is back and the world’s best athletes, including over three-dozen Oakley ski, snowboard and snowmobile competitors, are poised and ready to put on yet another great show across 11 disciplines.

“The Oakley brand is synonymous with innovation, but the technological advancements of our products are only part of that equation. It is our athletes who complete the process.” Said Matt Swanson, Director of Oakley Sports Marketing – Action Sports. “Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado has always been an incredible opportunity for us to share that story together on a world stage. I’m really looking forward to this week. I know our team has the skill and style to reach the podium.”

Last year, the Oakley team earned an impressive 20 medals including 10 gold, five silver and five bronze. Skier Kaya Turski set the bar high on the first day of competition claiming the team’s first medal of the games defending her Slopestyle gold medal with ease. Winter X rookie, Alex Schlopy, kept that momentum going when he unseated defending gold medalist, Bobby Brown on the Ski Big Air course for his career first X Games victory.

Heath Frisby and Cory Davis found themselves side-by-side on the podium last year and are poised to end up there again in both the Snowmobile Freestyle and Best Trick disciplines. One of the standout moments from Winter X 15 however, is going to be tough to beat. Snowboarder Torstein Horgmo sent waves throughout the snowboard industry after landing the first-ever triple cork in a contest setting during the Snowboard Big Air competition last year – he is definitely one to watch heading into the competition this week as are long time Oakley super stars Shaun White and Gretchen Bleiler who are both in position to continue their legacy of breaking X Games world records.

While it is safe to say that Oakley athletes went big in 2011, you can bet that they will be going even bigger in 2012.

Oakley’s complete Winter X 16 athlete roster and additional press materials are available on www.oakleyarc.com. Further media assets including future media alerts and imagery will be posted to ARC throughout the week.